Missouri Resources - 2012 Fall

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MISSOURI

resourcesFall 2012 Volume 29 Number 3


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based approach to manage the states

water resources through Our Mis-

souri Waters. This statewide initiative

will streamline the departments wa-

tershed planning efforts while in-

creasing public engagement, better

targeting and utilizing resources and

providing greater benefit in protect-

ing Our Missouri Waters.

Stakeholders, partnering agencies

and the public will play a critical role

throughout the Our Missouri Waters

initiative and can help make a differ-

ence. This exciting and innovative ini-tiative is featured in this issue ofMis-

souri Resources. We also welcome

you to learn more and see how you

can become involved by visiting the

departments website at dnr.mo.gov.

Together, we will ensure Missouris

abundant and treasured water re-

sources will continue to provide a

valuable quality of life for genera-

tions to come.

Missouri is fortunate to beblessed with many high-quality streams and lakes. In fact,

several of our streams have been des-

ignated as national scenic rivers.

Clean water is essential to everything

we do; it is vital for our health, com-

munities, environment and economy.

However, Missouri and the nation

have not always been blessed with

pristine waters. Many of our streams

that currently serve as a source for

drinking water or recreation were

once used as a waste stream, collect-

ing unwanted trash, sewage and dan-

gerous wastes. The Cuya-

hoga River in Ohio was

the most notable example

of a waterbody that was so

severely damaged that it

periodically caught fire

due to the pollutants it re-

ceived. Sources have sug-

gested that in 1972, only

one-third of the nations

waters were safe for fish-

ing and swimming.

Thankfully, however,

the people and Congress

took necessary action to

address the widespread

pollution and reduce the

significant health threats

from polluted waters flow-ing through our communi-

ties and backyards. On

Oct. 18, 1972, the Clean Water Act

became a federal law set forth to pro-

tect U.S. water quality.

States and communities have been

working to improve and protect our

watersheds during the last 40 years.

While we have made great strides in

reducing the pollution, we certainly

understand that we continue to face

many challenges and must continue to

work together to protect clean water

for ourselves, our families and

future generations.

To help with this effort, the depart-

ment is developing a new watershed-

directors

Sara Parker Pauley

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

State of Missouri, Governor Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon

Department Director Sara Parker Pauley

Deputy Director, Policy Dru Buntin

Deputy Director, Operations Leanne Tippett Mosby

Director, Division of Administrative Support Lori Gordon

Director, Division of Energy Llona C. Weiss

Acting Director, Division of Environmental Quality Alan Reinkemeyer

Director, Division of Geology and Land Survey Joe Gillman

Director, Division of State Parks Bill Bryan

Director, Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority Karen Massey

printed on recycled paper

Editor

Stuart Westmoreland

Design Director

Belinda Hughes

Photographer

Scott Myers

Public Information Coordinator

Andrew Richmond

Circulation

Luke Petree

Sharon Thompson

Editorial Board

Larry Archer

Hylan Beydler

Renee Bungart

Kerry Cordray

Sue Holst

Angie Morfeld

Stuart Westmoreland

MISSOURI RESOURCES is published three times per year by the

Missouri Department of Natural Resources to inform readers about impor-

tant natural resource issues and how they are being addressed. Any cor-

respondence should be directed to the editor at the Department of Natural

Resources, Publications, PO Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176,

or call 800-361-4827.

Email address: [email protected]

MoDNR home page: dnr.mo.gov

To subscribe or unsubscribe online:

dnr.mo.gov/magazine/subscription.htm

MISSOURI RESOURCES is available in alternative formats.

As a recipient of federal fund s, the Department of Natural Resources can-

not discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, color, national

origin, religion, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation or veteran status.

If anyone believes he or she h as been subjected to discrimination for any

of these reasons, he or she may file a complaint with either the

Department of Natural Resources or the Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S.

Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., 20240.

Missouri Resources is printed with soy ink on recycled paper at

Walsworth Publishing Co., Marceline, Mo.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources

is to protect, preserve and enhance Missouris natural, cultural and energy resources.

Fall 2012Volume 29 Number 3


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Above:The new Kelley Branch Mountain Bike Trail gives visitors another popular recreational opportunity at Finger Lakes State

Park near Columbia.

Cover:The waters of Ha Ha Tonka Spring reflect the surrounding foliage at Ha Ha Tonka State Park near Camdenton.

DNR photos by Scott Myers.

departments

16 News Briefs 22 Resources to Explore 25 One Last Word

2 Our Missouri Watersby Darrick Steen and Renee Bungart

The methods and programs employed to protect the quality and quantity of Missouri watersheds are as diverse as the waterresources they are supporting. The Our Missouri Waters initiative is the right approach at the right time.

6 Cool Fossil Discoveries in Missouriby Pat Mulvany

Once covered by a warm, shallow, inland sea, what we know as Missouri was home to a host of sea creatures large and small.

10 Reservoir Watchdogsby Kerry Cordray

Of the 681 state-regulated dams, 461 are high-hazard dams that require regular inspections to prevent downstream problems.

13 Closed But Not Forgottenby Laurie A. Bobbitt

Todays large, complex landfills are easier to inspect and manage. But what about all those decades-old rural landfills and dumps?


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manner through permitting, inspections and

enforcement actions to control point source

pollution. Point source pollution refers to

water pollution that comes from a specific,

identifiable source, such as a drainage pipe,

channel or lagoon.

Attaining cost-effective and measur-able improvements in the futurewill require a new approach one that looks

at watersheds holistically and encourages

communities to look at all potential sources

of water pollution, beyond standard point

source contributors. The Missouri Depart-

ment of Natural Resources decided to take a

step back from the traditional approach and

reprioritize Missouris watershed manage-

ment to create that coordinated, holistic ap-proach to protecting water quality and pre-

serving our Missouri waters. The

department established a Watershed Adviso-

ry Committee that will offer its expertise

and insight to the department as it works to

develop, implement and evaluate this new

approach. The department is creating the

framework to integrate all appropriate de-

partment resources and programs in a given

watershed when addressing the water re-

source management needs. This will maxi-

mize our efficiencies, resources and envi-

ronmental benefits for the state. Of course,there was no better name for this new, inno-

vative statewide watershed approach than to

call it Our Missouri Waters.

Weve named this initiative Our Missouri

Waters because water, like all of our natural

resources, belongs to all of us. We all need

to understand and be vested in protecting

our waters to ensure a positive future, and

DNR needs your input in order for this ef-

fort to be beneficial and successful. By

(Left) The Lower Grand

River watershed is

predominantly rural, with

most of the land used

for agriculture.

(Bottom) The Big River in

Washington State Park, near

De Soto, is a popular place

to escape the heat during

one of Missouris hottestsummers on record.

Texas

Dent

Pike

Bates

Ray

Cass

Polk

Barry

Linn

Iron

Howell

Ozark

Saline

Pettis

Vernon

Wayne

Henry

Macon

Shannon

ButlerTaney

Boone

Benton

Franklin

Holt

Oregon

Wright

Johnson

Adair

Phelps

Ripley

Laclede

Jasper

Douglas

Knox

Osage

Miller

Carroll

Ralls

Dade

Greene

Nodaway

Stone

Stoddard

Clark

St Clair

Reyno

lds

Callaway

Lewis

Clay

Barton

Monroe

Scott

Perry

Camden

Audrain

Chariton

Cole

Lincoln

Newton

Da

llas

Cedar

SullivanHarris

on

Craw

ford

Morgan

Jackson

Carter

Cooper

Shelby

Maries

Web

ster

Pula

ski

Jefferson

Daviess

Platte

Gentry

Lafayette

Dunklin

Putnam

Bo

llinger

Washington

St Louis

Atchis

on

Lawren

ce

Mercer

Warren

Christ

ian

Marion

Dekalb

Howard

Grundy

Madis

on

Andre

w

StCh

arles

Clinton

Pem

iscot

Hickory

McDonald

Rando

lph

Scotlan

d

Caldwe

ll

Worth

Mon

iteau

Bucha

nan

NewM

adrid

Livingsto

n

Gascona

de

Montg

omery

StFrancois

Mississippi

SteGenevieve

CapeGirardeau

Schu

yler

St Louis City

LowerGrand

BigRiver

Pilot projects highlighted

Our Missouri Waters Initiative

Watersheds

in Missouri

0 30 6015 Miles

Fall 2012 3


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4 Missouri Resources

working directly with citizens, stakeholder groups, com-

munities, industries, and local leaders, by providing cost

share programs to farmers, and providing financial assis-

tance to communities and cities, we can employ many ef-

fective tools and resources to better manage and preserve

Missouris great watersheds.

Missouris landscape and culture is diverse andunique, perhaps like no other state in the nation,

certainly within this region. With the diverse hydrologic

and multi-water-related resources to manage, it makes

sense to be able to tailor our activities to the unique chal-

lenges and opportunities specific to each watershed region.

One of the keys to this approach will be viewing,

monitoring, analyzing and, in turn, managing our water

resources at the local watershed level where specific

water resource management needs are best addressed.

The watershed-based approach will also allow a common

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources select-

ed three pilot watersheds to be included in the first

phase of the Our Missouri Waters initiative. The depart-

ment evaluated all watersheds throughout the state

and selected Spring River watershed, Big River water-

shed and the Lower Grand River watershed, due to

their diversity and opportunities. When selecting the

three pilot watersheds, the department examined is-sues such as water quality, water quantity, high-quality

waters for preservation and local stakeholder interest.

The department began implementing the pilot projects

in early 2012 and will continue the planning process

into 2013. These pilots will allow the department to an-

alyze how well this watershed-based approach works

and to make adjustments before implementing a

statewide effort expected to be launched in 2013.

Franklin

Jefferson

Washington

Crawford

Iron

St Francois

Dent

St

Gen

Big River

Watershed

Barry

JasperDade

Barton

Newton

Lawrence

Cedar

McDonald

St

Gr

ernon

Ch

Spring River

Watershed

OMW Pilot Phase

The bottomlands of the Lower Grand River watershed are

some of the most fertile in the state.

Linn

Ray

Chariton

Sullivan

Carroll

Daviess

Putnam

Mercer

Grundy

LivingstonCaldwell

Adair

Maconekalb

linton

Clay

Lower Grand

River Watershed


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understanding of the roles, priorities and re-

sponsibilities of all stakeholders within a

watershed. This approach is based on the

concept that many of our water resource

concerns, like water quality, water quantity,

and source water protection, are better eval-

uated and addressed collectively at the wa-

tershed level.

Implementing a watershed approach into

department processes complements and al-lows better coordination of other local, state

and federal water resource activities. Sup-

port of a watershed approach represents

awareness that restoring and maintaining

our waters requires crossing traditional bar-

riers (point vs. nonpoint sources of pollu-

tion) and a willingness to explore new op-

portunities when designing solutions. The

fact is that many, if not most, of these solu-

tions will be voluntary-based and motivated

by the principles and values that local com-

munities in a watershed place on their water

resources. For this reason, the watershedapproach must invest heavily in increasing

the level of water resources knowledge, un-

derstanding, participation and commitment

within our local communities.

By encouraging agencies and part-ners to focus staff and financial re-sources on prioritized geographic locations,

it becomes easier to coordinate between

agencies and individuals with an interest in

solving water resource problems.

In the long run, all water resource con-cerns and the sources of those concerns

(Above) The Highway 171 bridge over Center Creek in the Spring

River watershed is near Joplin, in Jasper County.

(Below) Grand Falls, on Shoal Creek in southwest Joplin, is the

largest continuously flowing waterfall in Missouri, and part of the

Spring River watershed.

Fall 2012 5

must be considered and evalu-

ated collectively. Then, agen-

cies and local stakeholders are

better positioned to efficiently

focus and employ human and

financial resources to find solu-

tions that will produce measur-

able, sustainable results.

The process may appear

complex but the overarchinggoals are quite simple

streamline the departments

watershed planning efforts

while increasing public en-

gagement, improve targeting

and resource use and increase

the benefits of protecting Our

Missouri Waters. To learn

more about the Our Missouri

Waters initiative, visit the de-

partments website at

dnr.mo.gov.

Darrick Steen is the Our Mis-

souri Waters statewide project

coordinator. Renee Bungart is

director of communications

for the department.


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Imagine an expansive underwater play-

ground and visualize the area that is

now the central United States, includ-

ing Missouri, being covered by a warm,

shallow, inland sea. This was the setting for

a variety of plankton, fish, sharklike fish

and other animals that enjoyed this habitat

during what is known as the Pennsylvanian

Subperiod of the Paleozoic Era of geo-

logic time, estimated to be 300

million years ago.

Picture the sea being connect-ed to the open ocean that lay to the

west and rivers flowing into the sea

to form deltas along the shoreline

that hosted coal swamps.

Envision the sea repeatedly

growing and shrinking in size be-

cause of worldwide glaciation-induced

changes in sea level, and because of local-

ized up-and-down movements of Earths

crust in the central U.S., where water depth

probably never exceeded 500 feet.

The incredible diversity of marine lifeand exceptional visibility would certainly

have been a snorkelers paradise, teeming

with life. Tiny planktonic organisms pas-

sively floated or weakly swam in the water.

Small invertebrates such as sponges, corals,

bryozoans, snails, clams, brachiopods,

worms, trilobites, crinoids, urchins and

starfish lived on the sea floor. Some lived

firmly attached to the bottom while others

were free to move about the bottom or bur-

row into it.

Other invertebrates, such as shelled

cephalopods similar to present-dayNautilus were free swimmers.

Crinoids lived attached to the sea

floor by slender, flexible columns

that were typically two feet long. A

group of crinoids rising above the

sea floor and gently swaying back and

forth in the water would have been a

remarkable underwater sight.

Fish also lived in the sea at this time.

Fish are vertebrate animals, possessing a

backbone. There were two main kinds of

fish. The bony kind had skeletons made of

real bone, like present-day perch. Thenthere were the cartilaginous or Chon-

drichthyes fish, whose skeletons were made

entirely of cartilage rather than bone. Their

only hard body parts were their teeth, fin

spines and dermal denticles the button-

like and feathery projections that studded

their skin.

In many ways, they resembled present-

day sharklike fish that include true sharks,

rays, skates and chimaeras.


Ancient life in Kansas Cityby Pat Mulvany

photographs by Scott Myers

(Top, above r ight and below)

A nautiloid, snail and bra-

chiopod, all discovered in

Westerville Limestone in the

Kansas City area. In their

living state, millions of

years ago, all were impor-

tant food items for

sharklike fish.


9/28

Fall 2012 7

(Left) Skeletal remains of a vast and strange

array of creatures are entombed in the lay-

ers of rock that underlie the Kansas City

area. John Babcocks original illustration

will be included in an exhibit about the

geologic history of the area in downtown

Kansas City, beginning Oct. 1. Go to

paleo.ku.edu/rocksandfossils for

more information.

(Bottom left) A right-angled front tooth of a

sharklike fish namedJanassa was found in

a thin shale layer of Cement City Limestone.

(Bottom) This rare discovery is a fossilized

fin of a sharklike fish, discovered in a layer

of Stark Shale. The parallel strips of carti-

lage are clearly evident.

(Below) The front tooth of a sharklike fish

named Peripristis or Ctenoptychius was

found in Westerville Limestone.

BookillustrationbyJohnBabcockRocksandFossilsoftheCentralU.S.withSpec

ialEmphasisontheGreaterKansasCityArea


10/28

These sharklike fish were the biggest an-

imals in the sea, and it could be said that

they ruled that domain.

Based on the size of the fossil teeth and

denticles, the total body length of those

Pennsylvanian sharklike fish typically

ranged from less than one foot to about 20

feet, said Richard J. Gentile, Ph.D. Gentile

is a Professor Emeritus from the Depart-

ment of Geosciences at the University of

Missouri-Kansas City.

Some Chondrichthyes had sharply

cusped teeth, and presumably fed on the

flesh of bony fish and other sharklike fish.

It was likely a situation in which the big

ones ate the little ones. Others had low-

crowned teeth that were arranged to form

broad crushing surfaces. They specialized

in eating the myriad shelled invertebrate an-

imals. Still others had sharp teeth toward

the front of the mouth and blunt teeth to-

ward the back of the mouth equipped toeat just about anything. Most sharklike fish

continually shed old teeth and grew new

ones throughout life.

When sharklike fish died, their flesh and

cartilage almost always decomposed com-

pletely. All that remained were teeth, fin

spines and dermal denticles. These hard

parts had a good chance of becoming fos-

sils. Once in a while, soft body parts are

found preserved in black shale.


(A) Fossilized, button-shaped dermal

denticles like these covered the skin

of a sharklike fish named Petrodus.

(B) This tooth of a sharklike fish

named Campodus variabilis was dis-

covered in Frisbie Limestone.

(C) The feathery, dermal denticle of a

sharklike fish named Listracanthus

was found in Stark Shale.

The greatest discoveries in paleontologyhave been made by a single stroke of the rock hammer,

as a new fossil is revealed. Richard J. Gentile, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus,

Department of Geosciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City.

DNR graphic by Mark Gordon

(Right) Plankton, fish, sharklike fish

and other animals called Missouri

home during the Pennsylvanian Sub-

period of the Paleozoic Era of geologic

time, estimated to be 300 million years

ago. The major divisions on this geo-

logic time scale depict geologic time

650 million years ago to the

present. Divisions are arranged in

chronological order with the oldest at

the bottom, the most recent at the top.Geologists, paleontologists and other

earth scientists use a geologic time

scale to describe the timing and rela-

tionships between events that have

occurred throughout Earths history.


11/28

Today, the sea that once covered Mis-

souri is gone, but rocks deposited dur-

ing the Pennsylvanian Subperiod are ex-

posed at the surface in Kansas City and

surrounding areas. Fossilized teeth and der-

mal denticles of the sharklike fish can be

found in the rocks.

Amateur fossil enthusiasts will spend

hours carefully splitting apart slabs of black

shale in the unending search for that re-markably preserved fossil or heretofore-un-

named fossil species. The greatest discover-

ies in paleontology have been made by a

single stroke of the rock hammer, as a new

fossil is revealed, said Gentile.

Time marches on and mankind now rules

the region. However, one can see a Black

Reef Shark and other sea creatures at the

Kansas City Sea Life Aquarium. Visit their

website for information at visitsealife.com/

Kansas-city/. Also, plan a trip to the Mis-

souri Department of Natural Resources Ed

Clark Museum of Missouri Geology to seecorals, bryozoans, crinoids, trilobites,

rocks, minerals and exhibits related to Mis-

souri geology. Located at 111 Fairgrounds

Road, the departments Division of Geology

and Land Survey is open to the public from

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Go to

dnr.mo.gov/geology/edclarkmuseum.htm

for more information.

Pat Mulvany is a geologist with the Depart-

ment of Natural Resources Division of Ge-

ology and Land Survey.

Fall 2012 9

About the Author

Pat Mulvany grew up in the Kansas City

area. At the age of seven, he became inter-

ested in all the fossils that he saw every-

where in the rocks. He spent a good por-

tion of his childhood and teenage years

collecting, dragging home and identifyingfossils. Every once in a while there was the

thrill of finding a sharklike fish fossil. These

fossils are rare, so a person has to look

and look, then look some more. Mulvany knows that persistence and

patience are essential, and that fossils are often found when they are

least expected. It is always a pleasant surprise to find one.

The fossils pictured in this article were collected by the author in the

1960s and 1970s. Many still reside in the rocks at Kansas City. As

with any field trip, DNR reminds you to respect the rights of private

property owners and ask for permission in order to access areas out-

side public lands, roads and rights-of way.

(D) The tooth of this sharklike fish named Cladodus was extracted from contact between Paola

Limestone and overlying Muncie Creek Shale.

(E) This fossilized tooth came from a sharklike fish named Petalodus destructorand was

imbedded in Bethany Falls Limestone.

(F) Pictured is a tooth from a sharklike fish named Deltodus, found in Westerville Limestone.

(G) This greatly enlarged photo shows the very small tooth of a sharklike fish named Orodus,

discovered in an exposed layer of Stark Shale.

DNRphotobyHylanBeydler


12/28


Well now, lets take a good look at

this, said Bob Clay, a hint of

concern in his voice.

On a fine spring day earlier this year, the

chief engineer of the Missouri Department

of Natural Resources Dam and Reservoir

Safety Program crouched down to peer into

what looked like a small sinkhole formed

around the side of a concrete culvert. Theculvert was the outlet to Hulen Lake East, a

seven-acre lake in a residential area of Co-

lumbia in Boone County.

No more than five minutes earlier, Clay

had explained that in the programs dam in-

spections, about 95 percent of the dams ex-

amined passed their checkups without any

safety concerns to note. Now, he and fellow

dam engineer Paul Simon were snapping

photographs, examining the trickle of out-

flow at the open end of the culvert and care-

fully logging readings on a global position-

ing probe to mark the exact position anddepth of the erosion around the side of the

concrete pipe.

This was a high-hazard dam, one of the

dams that could cause a loss of life and sig-

nificant property damage if it failed. Such

dams get a safety inspection every two to

three years. Of the 681 regulated dams

statewide, 461 are high-hazard dams.

In Missouri, dams 35 feet or more in

height are regulated by state laws carried

out by the Missouri Dam and Reservoir

Safety Council, said Clay. Regulated

dams require permits and get regular in-

spections to make sure the people down-

stream are safe.

The dam and reservoir safety council

may exempt dams from the regulations if

theyre mainly intended for agricultural use.

Dam failures and modern lawsIn Missouri, the first state law aimed at

dam regulation was passed in 1889. Called

the Dams, Mills, and Electric Power Law,

the law dealt only with damages caused by

construction and lake formation. It didnt

address the engineering or downstream

safety issues related to dams.

After several U.S. dams failed in the

mid- and late 1970s, including some in Mis-

souri, President Jimmy Carter instructed the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to investi-

gate the problem of unsafe dams. In 1979,after the COE reported that Missouri led the

nation in the number of unsafe dams, the

Missouri legislature passed the states cur-

rent Dam Safety Law.

Since then, the Dam and Reservoir Safe-

ty Program has worked to fulfill Missouri

law, reviewing plans and specifications for

new dams, giving technical assistance to

dam owners, and inspecting dams to make

sure they stay safe.

Reservoir WatchdogsProgram keeps a sharp eye on dam safetyby Kerry Cordrayphotographs by Scott Myers

(Above) Dam Safety Engi-

neer Paul Simon measures

a lake level using a survey-

grade GPS instrument.

(Below) Chief Engineer Bob

Clay points out a sinkholeabove a spillway pipe at

Hulen Lakes in Columbia.


13/28

Flora, fauna and fissuresDuring the three inspections made on

this day, the men looked closely for signs

that vegetation on the dams was in good

shape and well-maintained.

Keeping good grassy vegetation is cru-

cial to avoid erosion, said Clay. At the

same time, many dams also need to have

small trees or brush removed from embank-ments or spillways. Roots of woody plants

can cause pathways for seepage.

Every dam, no matter what type, has

some form of seepage. In most cases it is

harmless and barely noticeable, a small

amount of water that slowly permeates the

dam and escapes through the foundation,

the embankment, or along where foundation

and embankment meet.

We look for the location, amount and

qualities of the seepage, said Clay. Cattails

or other wetland plants downstream from

the dam embankment are a good clue tofinding seepage areas. If sediment shows

up in the dams seepage, it may be a minor

issue that needs to be watched for further

change, or the sign of a problem that should

be repaired right away.

An earthen dam also may develop small

structural problems such as cracks and

small slides.

We look for arc-shaped cracks on the

embankment that can show that a slide or

slough is beginning, Clay said. Even

small cracks can soon turn into larger prob-lems that need emergency treatment to pre-

vent a dam failure.

Another common source of damage is

the activity of burrowing animals. On the

days run of three inspections, the men

would find evidence of a beavers activity

at the top of a spillway at one dam,

damming the upstream opening of the spill-

way and raising the lakes water level by

several inches.

Fall 2012 11

Components of a Typical Earthfill Dam

principal spillway inlet

(riser with trash rack)

reservoir

toe berm

principal spillway outleteme

rgencysp

illway

embankment

outlet channel

DNR graphic

Clay and Simon investigate

a sinkhole to determine

possible causes.


14/28

Critters like groundhogs, muskrat and

beaver are naturally attracted to dams and

reservoirs, and can do a surprising amount

of damage, Clay said. Beavers plug up

spillways, groundhogs usually tunnel into

downstream slopes, and muskrats and

beavers sometimes dig into the upstream

side of a dam under the water line.

Those holes can weaken an embankment

and become channels for seepage.

Emergency planningIn the last few years, staff in the depart-

ments Water Resources Center have made

special efforts to help dam owners meet the

emergency planning requirements of Mis-

souri law.

A high-hazard dam has at least ten

homes or one public business in its inunda-

tion zone, the area that would be flooded

immediately if the dam failed, Clay ex-

plained. Owners of high-hazard dams are

required to develop and keep an emergencyaction plan, file it with local authorities,

and be ready to follow the plan if needed.

Since 2009, department hydrologists

have acquired data from new topographic

scans that used aerial LIDAR (light detec-

tion and ranging) to scan areas downstream

from many high-hazard dams. The data

were used to develop detailed maps of

dams inundation zones. The maps and sam-

ple emergency plan materials were fur-

nished to dam owners at workshops held

around the state. This is an ongoing projectthat is expected to be complete in 2014. So

far, more than 200 new emergency action

plans have been completed. The ultimate

goal is to have a plan for each regulated

dam in Missouri.

At the End of the DayAt the close of the days inspections, the

tally was one Macon County dam passed

with some maintenance requests, one Co-

lumbia dam with a passing grade, and an-

other where the dam owner was required to

have a private civil engineer assess the ero-sion problem around the outlet culvert.

Its fortunate for the dam owner that we

discovered the problem before they were

faced with a later, bigger structural issue or

even a catastrophic failure, Clay declared.

This was a good days work!

Kerry Cordray is division information offi-

cer for DNRs Water Resources Center and

Soil and Water Conservation Program.


Beaver dams in spillway channels restrict flow and reduce the storm water

storage capacity. This adverse hydraulic effect can result in failure

of the spillway or the earthen dam itself.

The Dam and Reservoir Safety Program regulates numerous dams that were

constructed to store mine waste. Pictured is a barite tailings dam.


15/28

Fall 2012 13

Imagine the headlines, Landfill Leaks

Methane Into Nearby Homes, and

Burning Mop Alerts Esselmans. This

frightening scene actually happened 14

years ago on the outskirts of a small Mis-

souri town in Perry County.

A Missouri Department of Natural Re-

sources investigation determined methane

gas from decomposing trash in a nearby

closed landfill migrated beneath a highwayand into a crack in Kevin Esselmans base-

ment floor. Apparently the flame from the

gas water heater lit the methane, setting a

nearby mop on fire. No one was hurt, and

the incident alerted Esselman to a 4-inch

flame leaping from a crack in the floor. His

description was vivid: It looked like a gas

stove on full blast.

The landfill owner installed a deep

trench along the side of the landfill to keep

methane from migrating. Gas monitoring

has proven the solution effective. As a pre-

caution, the landfill owner purchased and

razed Esselmans home, as well as another

nearby residence.

Burning basements make headlines, but

the sales of abandoned landfills to unin-

formed buyers at county tax sales do not.

The buyer may think he is getting a great

deal on a piece of property only to discover

that it is unsuited for the desired use: tobuild a home or graze cattle, for example.

To make matters worse, the landfill may be

discharging leachate (water contaminated

from contact with waste), not be properly

closed, or hold other unpleasant surprises.

BackgroundSince 1972, solid waste landfills in Mis-

souri have been governed by the require-

ments of the Missouri Solid Waste Manage-

(Above) Cattle trample

the landfill cap and

vegetative cover while

drinking from leachate

seeps on this rural,

former landfill site in

Cedar County.

(Left) Leachate with

gas bubbles in Gas-

conade County indi-

cates that landfill

decomposition is

still occurring.

Old Landfills and You

by Laurie A. Bobbitt

DNRphotobyJam

esGross

DNRphotobyDanNorris


16/28

ment Law. The Department of Natural Re-

sources, created in 1974, was given respon-

sibility for permitting all landfills in the

state and enforcing the Solid Waste Man-

agement Law. The departments Solid

Waste Management Program regulates land-

fills, even after they close their gates.

During the next 40 years, industry, aca-

demia and government studied and worked

with landfills, learning a great deal about

waste decomposition and the movement of

degradation products, such as leachate and

methane gas. Laws and regulations were

strengthened in order to better protect pub-

lic health, safety and the environment. As a

result, modern landfills are very complex in

comparison to those that operated in the

1970s and 1980s.

Recently, there has been more interest in

the condition of and land use near older

landfills. Under a grant from the U.S. De-

partment of Agricultures Rural Develop-ment Utilities Program, the Solid Waste

Management Program evaluated 58 such

landfills between November 2010 and April

2011 and provided technical assistance to

current property owners and officials in

nearby rural communities.

Evaluation FindingsFollowing the 58 on-site assessments,

the results were tabulated and problems

found were divided into seven categories:

Off-Site Methane Gas

About 3 percent of the sites were dis-covered to have methane gas migrating

from the landfill. Due to the explosive

nature of methane, this problem is the

departments highest concern.

Off-Site Leachate

About 13 percent of the sites had some

discharge of leachate off of the landfill.

Sampling showed there was little im-

pact to receiving waters.

Lack of Maintenance

About 91 percent of the sites were

lacking some degree of proper mainte-nance, imperative to help prevent prob-

lems from arising.

Land Use Impacts

About 19 percent of the sites were neg-

atively affected by the owners improp-

er use of the property. Improper uses

include livestock grazing, row crop-

ping, and unapproved construction

work on the landfill.

Monitoring Deficiencies

Due to the age of these landfills, only

six of the 58 sites were required to

monitor gas or groundwater wells. Allsix were non-compliant in some man-

ner, either by not maintaining or sam-

pling the wells.

Public Safety Concerns

About 52 percent of the sites were

deemed to pose a potential public safe-

ty concern. Some concerns were struc-

tures built on or near a landfill or

drinking water wells installed too close

to a landfill.

(Top) This electrical substa-

tion in Atchison County,

built adjacent to a closed

landfill, poses a safety con-

cern if methane gas from

the landfill collects in its

underground vaults.(Below and inset) Leachate

is not far from an open well

on a closed landfill

in Cole County.


DNRphotob

yCeciliaCampbell

DNRphotobyRicardoJones;Inset:DNRphoto

byDanNorris


17/28

Long-Term Stewardship Issues

About 22 percent of the sites had a

deficiency in required paperwork,

which could cause problems for fu-

ture buyers.

Follow-upIn order to address the deficiencies

discovered, new fact sheets were devel-

oped and widely distributed to addressmaintenance, use, buying and selling of

landfills. Landfill owners received re-

ports explaining problems found at their

sites and actions required to correct these

deficiencies. Department staff made calls

to the owners to ensure they understood

the report and to answer any questions.

People living near landfills or those with

drinking water wells near landfills were no-

tified of potential problems they may en-

counter and how to ensure their own health

and safety. Every county collector in areas

containing a permitted landfill was sent a

packet of information providing landfill lo-

cations and a sample letter with guidance

documents to give interested buyers if a

landfill is for sale.

In order to better educate the solid waste

management community, including regula-

tors, conference presentations were given to

disseminate the projects findings.

Take-Home MessagePeople who own property that contains a

closed landfill or who are thinking aboutpurchasing one should conduct thorough re-

search and develop a full understanding of

the responsibilities and liabilities that ac-

company the property.

Owning a landfill does not have to be as

onerous as it sounds, especially if it was

well-operated, closed correctly and is prop-

erly cared for.

If you live in or wish to buy a structure

near a landfill, be aware that methane gas

may migrate out of older landfills with-

out easy detection.

Take necessary precautions and install

methane detectors that alert owners to

the presence of methane. If you have or

wish to install a well, make sure it is atleast 300 feet from buried waste and is

cased deep enough to prevent contamina-

tion from leachate.

For more information, visit

dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp/techproj.htm.

Laurie A. Bobbitt is a technical environ-

mental specialist in the Missouri Depart-

ment of Natural Resources Solid Waste

Management Program and coordinated

the programs closed rural landfill study.

Fall 2012 15

(Top left) Failure to maintain wells, like this one in St. Francois County, provides

a direct conduit to groundwater contamination from older, closed landfills.

(Top right) Dead deciduous trees adjacent to a Dent County landfill indicate

methane gas migration.

(Above right) Trespassers or property owners have damaged the landfills soil

cap by driving ATVs on this Pulaski County site.

(Below) Although part of this Gasconade County community was developed on

the fringe of an old, closed landfill, no methane gas problems have been detect-

ed to date, perhaps due to careful engineering while it was in operation.

DNR photos by Dan Norris


18/28

Green Infrastructure Guidefor Community Developers

The Missouri Depart-

ment of Natural Re-

sources has devel-

oped a new green

infrastructure guidefor municipalities

and community de-

velopment professionals in Missouri

and the Midwest.

The Missouri Guide to Green Infra-

structure: Integrating Water Quality

into Municipal Operations, provides a

general overview of green infrastruc-

ture for storm water and energy man-

agement, whole-life costs and the

triple bottom-line benefits for social,

economic and environmental inter-ests. The guide also provides a how-to

approach to site design and imple-

mentation strategies, champion proj-

ects, local codes, ordinances and

policies all in a manner that provides

a level playing field and equitable in-

centives for developers and taxpayers.

As Missouri and the rest of the

country move toward environmentally

compatible approaches to infrastruc-

ture planning, the Missouri Guide to

Green Infrastructure will provide mu-

nicipalities and regions with aroadmap to implement sustainable

storm water management practices to

improve water quality, help relax finan-

cial burdens and provide new recre-

ational opportunities.

The Missouri Guide to Green Infra-

structure: Integrating Water Quality

into Municipal Operations is available

online at dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/

stormwater/mo-gi-guide.htm.

Energy Director JoinsRegional Energy Board

Llona C. Weiss, director of the de-

partments Division of Energy, was se-

lected to serve on the board of direc-

tors for the Midwest Energy Efficiency

Alliance until 2013.

The MEEA raises awareness, facili-

tates energy-efficiency programs and

strengthens energy policy across the

Midwest region.

The board of directors will provide

guidance as MEEA continues to grow

and provide expanded services across

its 13-state region. In total, nearly $1.2

billion in rate-payer dollars were spent

on energy efficiency in 2011, and that

number is expected to increase to$1.5 billion by 2015. MEEAs board

will provide direction as best practices

and new technologies are promoted in

the Midwest.

DNR Launches ePermitting

The Department of Natu-

ral Resources unveiled its

ePermitting system

for land distur-

bance permits.

Those seeking one

of the most common

permits from the Missouri Department

of Natural Resources will be able to do

so online in a fraction of the traditional

permit application time. Department of

Natural Resources Director Sara Park-

er Pauley announced on June 22 that

ePermitting was up and running.

This improvement in efficiency

means builders, contractors and de-

velopers can get permits in minutes

instead of weeks, Pauley said. And

even with the simplification, it still of-fers the same level of environmental

protection as before.

A land disturbance permit is re-

quired for any project that results in

the disturbance of one acre of land or

more. The purpose of the permit is to

make sure steps are taken by the per-

mit holder to prevent erosion from the

site from polluting local waterways.

The department issued 829 land

disturbance permits in 2011. Between

2007 and 2011, the number of such

permits issued ranged from 829 to2,365. To date, in 2012, the depart-

ment has issued nearly 1,400 permits.

The first ePermit was issued to

Chesterfield-based McBride & Son

Homes for its Stone Meadows subdivi-

sion in Wentzville.

The department has developed

videos designed to help permit seek-

ers with the online process. A link on

the departments online home page,

dnr.mo.gov, will take visitors to the

ePermitting page.

Those wishing personal assistance

with ePermitting can visit any of the

departments five regional offices or

the Lewis and Clark State Office Build-

ing in Jefferson City.

Discover CareersDuring Science Week

The Department of Natural

Resources will partner with

the American Geological

Institute and others dur-

ing Earth Science

Week, Oct. 14-20, to en-

gage youngsters and

the public in learning

about careers in the Earth

sciences. Events will encourage peo-

ple everywhere to explore the natural

world and learn about the geo-

sciences. Discovering Careers in the

Earth Sciences, this years theme,

will help explain how geoscientists

gather and interpret data about the

Earth and other planets.

The departments Division of Geol-

ogy and Land Survey participates dur-

ing Earth Science Week by sharing in-

formation with children and adults

about how earth sciences play a fun-damental role in the health, safety and

welfare of all Missourians. This year

marks the first annual National Geo-

logic Mapping Day. On Friday, Oct. 19,

staff will share information about the

benefits of geologic maps.

Additionally, the department wi ll

mark the third annual National Fossil

Day, Wednesday, Oct. 17, with special

exhibits in the Ed Clark Museum of

Missouri Geology. Sponsored by the

National Park Service and the Ameri-

can Geological Institute, National Fos-sil Day promotes public awareness

and stewardship of fossils, as well as

an appreciation of their scientific and

educational value. On National Fossil

Day, visitors to the departments mu-

seum in Rolla will receive a crinoid

fossil stem. The crinoid is Missouris

official state fossil. For more informa-

tion about Earth Science Week activi-

ties, visit dnr.mo.gov/geology.


news


19/28

Geothermal MissouriGrant Project Status

Geologists with

the Department of

Natural Resources

Division of Geology

and Land Survey areat the mid-point of a three year feder-

ally funded project to provide informa-

tion about Missouris renewable geo-

thermal resources. Funding in the

amount of $300,000 from the U.S. De-

partment of Energy, dedicated to the

State Geothermal Data project and or-

ganized by the Association of Ameri-

can State Geologists, continues to en-

able staff to identify and characterize

the states renewable geothermal ener-

gy resources.Data being compiled include: loca-

tion information for water wells, oil and

gas wells, ground-source heat pumps,

rock core and cuttings. Additionally,

temperature data is being collected

from oil and gas production, existing

deep municipal water wells and wells

currently under construction.

Geologic maps are the most funda-

mental source of geologic information

for the earth sciences. Geology affects

everything from ecology to highway

construction. Bedrock maps are usedfor exploration and development of

mineral, fuel and groundwater re-

sources and contribute to our knowl-

edge of the likelihood of damage from

earthquakes, landslides or sinkhole

collapse. This national collaboration

of state and federal agencies, univer-

sities and industry, has the potential to

reshape Americas energy landscape

well into the 21st century. Learn more

about this project and see data

presently available at dnr.mo.gov/ge-

ology/geosrv/geores/geothermal.htm

Battle of Island MoundState Historic Site Opens

Battle of Island Mound State His-

toric Site, Missouris newest state park

facility, was dedicated and opened to

the public in October. Its quiet pas-

toral setting in rural Bates County is in

contrast to the battle that occurred

here in 1862 a battle that marked the

first time black soldiers engaged incombat during the Civil War.

In the fall of 1862, two battalions of

the First Kansas Colored Infantry were

sent into Bates County, which had be-

come a haven for guerrillas. The sol-

diers operated out of a home they

called Fort Africa. On Oct. 29, 1862,

30 black troops were ambushed by

some 130 rebel horsemen near a low

hill known as Island Mound. The battle

was a significant milestone in the his-

tory of the Civil War.The 40-acre historic site, which was

dedicated 150 years after the original

Battle of Island Mound, preserves the

site of Fort Africa. The site interprets

the battle through a kiosk with infor-

mation and displays and a short walk-

ing trail with wayside exhibits. The

day-use park, located eight miles

southwest of Butler in Bates County,

also offers a picnic area.

Fall 2012 17

environmental notes

Summer is over and the school year is now in full swing. In addition, Octobermarks the start of Childrens Health Month. As fall begins, lets examine some

things we can do for our kids to make their environment a better, healthier place to

learn, play and live.

On the way to school: School buses in the U.S. collectively travel almost 4

billion miles each school year. With that many miles under their (fan) belts,

they are already putting tons of exhaust and particulate matter into the air.

Why not consider urging your school to create no-idle zones not only for

buses, but carpool lines, as well. Besides saving on fuel, vehicle exhaust can

be especially harmful to children because of their faster breathing rate and

still-developing lungs.

In the classroom: With fall classes underway, most parents have made their

yearly supply runs, picking up paper, notebooks, binders, pens and assorted

specific class/teacher requests. Before heading to the store next fall or for the

second semester, consider browsing the leftovers that survived the first se-

mester or school year. You might have unused pens, pencils, binders, loose

leaf and other items lying around the house that werent used. In addition, if

you do still need to run out for some last-minute class requests, consider

items that are made of recycled materials or that can be used for more than

one year or semester.

Get out!: Finally, do what you can to encour-

age children to get outdoors. It could be any-

thing from a game of Frisbee in the yard with

neighbors or, if possible in your area, walking

to school instead of driving. In addition, take

steps to help your children connect with nature.

Connecting children with nature encourages

physical activity that reduces obesity and has

been shown to improve a childs mental abili-

ties and sense of well-being. A long-term benefit of helping establish your

kids link to the outdoors builds a lifelong understanding and concern for the

care of our natural resources.

On the way to school, in the classroom or outside, lets work together to keep

the long-term health and happiness of our children, young friends and neighbors in

mind. They might just pass it on.

news

A Back-to-School List


20/28

$12 Million Low-interestLoan for Jefferson County

The Missouri Depart-

ment of Natural Re-

sources has awarded

the Northeast Public

Sewer District in Jeffer-son County a $12 million

low-interest loan for wastewater treat-

ment projects.

The district will use the loan for a

multi-phased project intended to re-

gionalize the service area by eliminat-

ing seven of the districts wastewater

treatment plants and redirecting the

flows to the Saline Creek Regional

Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Another purpose of the project is to

eliminate a major source of inflow andinfiltration, storm water runoff and

groundwater that make their way into

sanitary sewer pipes and get treated,

unnecessarily, at wastewater treat-

ment plants.

Funding for the loan comes from

the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

The fund provides significant funding

to assist communities with their waste-

water infrastructure needs. A portion

of the funding will be targeted toward

green infrastructure, wastewater andenergy efficiency, and environmentally

innovative projects. This funding will

help the district protect residents and

the environment by making necessary

wastewater improvements.


news

LettersThank you, as always, for an excellent, educational and en-tertaining publication in the form ofMissouri Resources. On

page 15 of the Spring/Summer issue, you have an article

about Navy showers. I should begin by saying that I am onewho even when taking standard showers with the water on

all the time my family always asks, Are you done already?

So, I seem to take relatively short showers anyway.

However, Im not sure how many converts you may glean

for taking Navy showers, at least in the long run. As a Navy

retiree myself (my comments are mine alone and do not reflect

any official position), I will say that although we were required

onboard to take the sort of shower you describe in your arti-

cle, sailors were always glad to return to port where they might

enjoy a continuous shower ashore!

(The next time I take a shower, I think I will leave the plug in

the tub, and see just how much water I use. Your article is defi-

nitely thought provoking.)

David S. Durbin

St. Louis

Did I miss it inside the magazine? I come from a large

group of textile and fabric lovers. How dare you tease us with

the cover showing the Watkins Woolen Mill without anything

about exactly where it is, tours, or other great information?

Carole Splater

Crestwood

Editors Note:

Unfortunately, with 85 state parks and historic sites and onlythree issues ofMissouri Resources each year, the coverage

does get spread out quite a bit. We sent Carole some back is-

sues that included three stories on Watkins Woolen Mil l State

Historic Site that ran in Winter 2007, Summer 2002 and Sum-

mer 2001.

Great article by Dalena Hardy about Whiteman AFB (Oper-

ation Efficiency, Spring/Summer 2012). However, you missed

an opportunity to tell the story to Missourians that the 131st

Bomb Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, also flies the B-2

Bomber. They also are a full partner with the 509th Bomb Wing

in the energy-saving programs.

Col. Ken Schroer, USAF (Ret)

St. Charles

In the Spring/Summer 2012 issue, there was an article

called Fountains of Truth. A notation on page 10 states that a

stream gauge is located on the Meramec River in Montauk

State Park. I can tell you, as a long-time visitor and fisherman

at Montauk, that it is the headwaters of the Current River, not

the Meramec, that has its origins at Montauk State Park. One

of the four major water sources for the Meramec River is

Maramec Spring, the fifth-largest spring in Missouri, near St.

James. I was surprised by the oversight. Thanks for a great

publication!

Darrell DuBois

Chesterfield

Editors Note:Darrell is correct, as several other readers pointed out the

Fountains of Truth story included a photo that was mislabeled

during editing. The stream gauge in question is on the Current

River. Our apologies and thanks to those who took the time to

alert us to the error.

Letters intended for publication should be addressed to Letters, Missouri Resources, PO Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176 or faxed to

(573) 522-6262, attention: Letters. Please include your name, address and daytime phone number. Space may require us to edit your letter.

You also can email Missouri Resources staff at [email protected].


21/28

Missouri ReceivesDOE Grant

Missouri was

one of 22 states

selected to re-

ceive a competi-

tive State EnergyProgram grant

from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The awards are part of the Energy De-

partments effort to reduce energy

costs in homes and buildings, create

jobs, and boost domestic manufactur-

ing of energy-saving technology.

The departments Division of Ener-

gy, in partnership with the Office of Ad-

ministrations Division of Facilities

Management, will use $715,000 over a

three-year period to reinvigorate Mis-souris State Facilities Energy Conser-

vation Program.

In 2009, Gov. Jay Nixon signed Ex-

ecutive Order 09-18, which required

state agencies to develop policies that

will result in reductions of energy con-

sumption by two percent per year over

the next 10 years.

Activities funded by the grant will

include assessing practices for retro-

fitting state government buildings;

identifying barriers to building energy

retrofits; implementing energy-effi-cient strategies; and developing ener-

gy training for both maintenance staff

and state employees.

Our goal for the State Facilities En-

ergy Conservation Program is to

achieve 20 percent or greater energy

savings in at least half of state-owned

and operated buildings, said Llona

Weiss, director of the Division of Energy.

Stay Connected inMissouri State Parks

Its great to get away from it all inMissouri state parks but its also nice

to be connected if you want to be.

Now you can have the best of both

worlds. Missouri State Parks offers

free wireless Internet access in more

than half of its 40 state park camp-

grounds. Most parks have full cover-

age in the campgrounds while others

have designated hotspots with cover-

age. Signs are posted in the camp-

grounds indicating where Internet ac-

cess is located.

Complementary Wi-Fi is just one of

the amenities offered in Missouris

state park campgrounds. Check with

your favorite state park campground

to see if it is one where you can stay in

touch and relax at the same time.

Fall 2012 19

Stream Teams and 319 Nonpoint Source Grant recipients from all over the

state of Missouri gathered in Branson June 12-13 for a summit meeting to share

information and celebrate successes. The Section 319 Nonpoint Source Manage-

ment Program provides federal funding to states in order to assist them in mitigat-

ing nonpoint source pollution. Holly Neill, Executive Director of the Missouri

Stream Team Watershed Coalition, was responsible for planning and organizing

the event.

Neill planned the summit in order to showcase successful 319 grant programs

and publications that have occurred in different parts of the state.

It was such a pleasure to help host this event that brought together individu-

als from many differ-ent watersheds across

the state doing won-

derful work to protect

our water resources,

Neill said. We hope

the summit provided

an opportunity for par-

ticipants to share,

learn, and be inspired

for continued success

in their watershed.

Attendees were en-

couraged to utilize,emulate, and imple-

ment these efforts in

their local watershed without having to reinvent the wheel for each project. A re-

ception at the new Army Corps of Engineers Dewey Short Visitor Center on Table

Rock Lake allowed the group to tour the new LEED (Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design) Gold-certified facility.

On June 13, presenters discussed lessons learned and offered suggestions to

overcome challenges. Several grant recipients gave presentations showcasing

their works in progress, while others documented their successes. Department of

Natural Resources Director Sara Parker Pauley gave

the keynote address after being presented with the

professional Water Warrior award for 2012. The

award was presented by Peter Herschend, Chairmanof the Board of Directors for the Ozarks Water Watch

Foundation. The 319 celebration was held in conjunc-

tion with Water Watch Week June 8-16, a series of

planned events to emphasize the importance of clean

water in the Ozarks.

Holly Neill welcomes 319 grant recipients to the

Dewey Short Visitor Center on Table Rock Lake.

Watershed CoalitionHosts 319 Grant Summit

Stream Team Notebook

DNRphotobySusanHiggins

news


22/28

a new Web resource for monitoring

well contractors who wish to electroni-

cally submit monitoring well certifica-

tion and registration forms and pay

associated fees. This new system is

expected to be significantly more effi-

cient for staff and monitoring well con-

tractors. The WOLFS system will verify

that the well construction or plugging

meets Missouri Well Construction

Rules requirements. Records submit-

ted using WOLFS will be certified or

registered immediately upon payment.

WOLFS is online at dnr.mo.gov/

mowells/ and a fact sheet is available

to assist those who use the system at

dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub2440.pdf.

Database ShowsAbandoned UndergroundCoal Mines

As part of a continu-ing effort to protect cit-

izens and expand its

existing database of

abandoned under-

ground coal mines, the Missouri De-

partment of Natural Resources Divi-

sion of Geology and Land Survey

created a Missouri Mine Maps website

that contains the complete inventory

of mine maps. Commodity, location,

mine name, map date and other perti-

nent information is available on the

site. The site also contains low-resolu-tion images of maps that are available

in the pilot project areas.

U.S. Department of the Interior Of-

fice of Surface Mining (OSM) funding

enabled division staff to acquire maps

from private collections, city halls,

county courthouses, historical soci-

eties, libraries and other sources for

scanning and entering into the states

Mine Map Reposi tory.

The divisions Geological Survey

Program is the official Missouri Mine

Map Repository, established by the

State Legislature in 1993 for the pur-

poses of public safety and protection

of property. It houses more than 2,000

maps of underground mines contain-

ing various mineral commodities.

It is important to know as much as

possible about past underground op-

erations for the safe development of

our state. For example, the depart-

ment assisted following the May 22,

2011 Joplin tornado, by identifying

historic underground lead and zinc

mines. This enabled city and state offi-

cials to appropriately locate temporarywaste storage sites. Additional maps

and functionality will be added as the

project progresses. Go to dnr.mo.gov/

geology/geosrv/geores/minemaps.htm.

Well Online FormSubmittal System

The department is pleased to an-

nounce the availability of the Well On-

line Form Submittal (WOLFS) system


news

TimeExposures

In 1913, Missouris first hydroelectric dam went into

service in Forsyth. At the time of its design, Powersite

Dam was the largest concrete dam of its kind, housing

four generators with space for five more if needed. Theimage above shows construction progress on Powersite

Dam in September 1912.

Work on the dam began in 1910, creating what is now

Lake Taneycomo. As costs exceeded the or iginal budget,

construction continued while financing was secured from

New York banker Henry Doherty, owner of the fledgling

Empire Electric Co. With Dohertys support, the dam was

For news releases on the Web, visit

dnr.mo.gov/newsrel/.

For a complete listing of the departments

upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit

the departments online calendar at

dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

Looking for a job in natural resources?

Go to dnr.mo.gov/hr/.

completed in 1913 and operated as the Ozark Power and

Water Co. until it merged with Empire Electric in 1927.

Originally a warm water lake, Lake Taneycomo became

a cold water lake in 1958 after the construction of TableRock Dam. Today, the lake hosts some of the finest trout

fishing in the world.

Send your photo to Time Exposures, c/o Missouri Resources, PO Box

176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176. Pre-1970 environmental and

natural resource photos from Missouri will be considered. Please

include date, location, description and any related historic details that

might be of interest to our readers.

WhiteRiverValleyHistoricalSocietyphoto


23/28

Afive-member team of high school students from Pembroke HillHigh School beat out more than 50 other teams to win the2012 Canon Envirothon, a week-long environmental education

competition sponsored by Canon U.S.A. Inc. This was Pembroke

Hills fourth trip to the Canon Envirothon and the first time a Mis-

souri team has captured first place honors. Pembroke Hill is from

Jackson County.

The team advanced to the North American finals of the competition by

winning their regional competition and the state event. The 55 teams

in the North American competition represented 45 U.S. states, nine

Canadian provinces and one Canadian territory. The Pembroke Hill

team members are Hosain Ghassemi, Wanda Czerwinski, Riley Sloan,

Jeffrey Rubel and Ryan Hrinya (left to right, photo). Team advisors are

SueAnn and Richard Wright. Each student received a $5,000 scholar-

ship, for a team total of $25,000 in Canon scholarships.

Teams test their knowledge on five areas including soils, wildlife,

forestry, aquatics and a current environmental issue. For 2012, the

issue was Going Green with Low Impact Development Technologiesto Reduce Nonpoint Source Pollution. Additionally, the students gave

an oral presentation to a panel of judges and received a first place

award for that event.

Were extremely proud of the Pembroke Hill team and the effort they

put forward to win this event, said Judy Stinson, co-chair of the

Missouri Envirothon, and environmental education specialist with the

Missouri Department of Natural Resources Soil and Water

Conservation Program. To see them win just shows the commitment

and dedication these students have made to the Envirothon program.

Sponsors for the Missouri Envirothon include the Missouri Departmentof Natural Resources, the Missouri Association of Soil and Water

Conservation Districts, local soil and water conservation districts, the

Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Districts Employee Association,

the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Natural Resources

Conservation Service, the University of Missouri Extension and the

Show-Me Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society.

Pembroke Hill High School 2012 Envirothon team

CanonEnvirothonphoto

news

Rock

MattersI ron ore in Missouri comprises several minerals that fall withinthe family of iron oxides, with varying ratios of iron and oxy-gen. Iron mining near the towns of Pilot Knob (Iron Co.) and Iron

Mountain (St. Francois Co.) led to the beginning of the Missouri-

Pacific railroad system.

Iron oxide minerals are not only found in mines, they can be

found in small concentrations throughout the state. Some miner-

al collectors specialize in Missouri iron minerals. The primary

types of iron ore that occur in Missouri are listed here, from low-

est to highest in iron content.

Limonite a mixture of iron, oxygen and hydrox-

ide. Limonite was used as an iron ore

and as a source of yellow pig-

ment. Scattered

pieces of limonite

can be found

throughout the state

and especially in southern Missouri. Limonite ores were heavily

mined until 1900, with some production as late as the 1960s.

Iron Ore Iron ore was commercially mined in Missouri from1815 to 2001, with potential for new mining to begin again. The primary use for

Missouri iron ores has been steel production, but they have many other purposes.

DNR photos by Mark Gordon

Hematite varies from red and earthy to gray and

shiny; crystals look like shiny gray plates. Hematite is

useful as a red pigment for items such as cosmet-

ics. The largest hematite mine in Missouri was Iron

Mountain, which was mined almost continuously

from 1836 to 1966.

Magnetite a dark gray to black iron, magnetic

mineral excellent for steel production; its

crystals resemble shiny black pyramids.

Washington Countys Pea Ridge Mine

was the largest producer of magnetite orein Missouri and has the potential to produce more iron.

Southeast Missouri is home to a large iron ore district. Smaller

deposits are scattered throughout the state. Native Americans

used the minerals for pigments. In addition to use in steel pro-

duction, iron ores have been used to remove sulfur from coal, to

make high-power magnets for industrial use, for water purifica-

tion systems, to make concrete denser for bridge pier construc-

tion and as red, black and yellow pigments.

Fall 2012 21

Resource Honor Roll Pembroke Hill High School


24/28

by Sue Holst

I f you ask just about anyone for a fea-ture that stands out in a Missouri statepark, you will likely get an answer in-volving trails.

The dictionary defines a trail as a simple

path or track. But a trail can be so much

more. Trails can take you to incredible

places, such as the top of a waterfall or a

mountains summit for a tremendous vista.

They can transport you to another time as

you follow the path of your ancestors walk-

ing across a Civil War battlefield. Trails canbe just right for a leisurely stroll or the per-

fect place to raise your heartbeat on a stren-

uous hike up a hill.

Missouris state park system considers

trails one of its signature features and

boasts more than 230 trails in 58 state parks

and historic sites. With that many trails, it is

inevitable that you will be able to find the

perfect one for you and whatever adventure

you seek that day.

Whichever trail you choose, the adven-

ture begins as soon as you step off the park-

ing lot and take your first step on the trail,

said Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State

Parks, a division of the Missouri Depart-


DNRphotosbyScottMyers

(Above) Whispering

Pines Trail in Hawn

State Park is con-

sidered by many to

be one of the best

hiking and back-

packing trails in

the state.

(Right) Mudlick Trail

at Sam A. Baker

State Park takes rid-

ers through some of

the most significant,

undisturbed land-

scapes in Missouri.


25/28

ment of Natural Resources. I love trails be-

cause each visit is an adventure and I love

seeing whats around the next bend.

Everyone may have a different reason

but here are the Top 10 Reasons People

Love Trails:

The Top 10 Reasons People Love Trails

There are trails for everyones interests,

including walking, hiking, backpack-

ing, bicycling, mountain biking, horse-

back riding, or using all-terrain

vehicles.

There are trails for people of all abili-

ties, from walking trails perfect for

young children or people using mobili-

ty devices to rugged backpacking trails

for the most experienced hikers and

mountain bikers.

There is no cost to use a state park trailand equipment can be as inexpensive as

a good pair of walking shoes.

You can spend as much or as little time

as you want on a trail.

Trails provide access to parts of the

state park system that cannot be experi-

enced any other way.

Using trails is a healthy way to exercise

without being indoors.

Trails are a good way for people of all

ages to reconnect with and explore na-

ture any time of the year. Being outside on a trail is a good way

to step away from todays hectic

lifestyle and relieve stress.

They are an easy and enjoyable way to

learn about Missouris plants, animals

and geology, and discover its history.

Trails are perfect places to make new

memories with your friends and family.

W ith so many trails and so many rea-sons, it will be easy to find a fa-vorite trail. For Bryan, the trail that stands

out is the Taum Sauk Section of the OzarkTrail between Johnsons Shut-Ins State Park

and Taum Sauk Mountain State Park. He

describes it as epic with awesome

scenery and a formidable terrain.

Others may prefer a more level terrain,

such as the 240-mile Katy Trail State Park,

which follows a former railroad corridor

across much of the state. Considered the

longest developed rail-to-trail in the nation,

this trail draws hikers and bicyclists from

across the United States to

experience Missouris var-

ied landscapes and many of

its quaint communities.

Mountain bikers may

choose the Grotpeter Trail at

Castlewood State Park be-cause of the varied routes

and challenging terrain. An-

other popular mountain bik-

ing trail is the 10.25-mile

White River Valley Trail

System in Table Rock State

Park. This new trail features

four different loops, each

with different characteris-

tics and challenges.

For off-road vehicle en-

thusiasts, two state parks

offer opportunities for vari-ous rides, including trails

and open riding areas. Fin-

ger Lakes State Park offers

trails for all-terrain vehicles

and motorcycle enthusiasts, and St. Joe

State Park offers one of the largest and most

popular ORV riding areas in the Midwest.

Equestrian users can explore Missouri

state parks from the back of a horse, and

there are numerous trails to provide that op-

portunity. One of the most popular is the

11.25-mile Cuivre River Trail at CuivreRiver State Park, which travels through

much of the Big Sugar Creek Wild Area.

Another favorite is the Mudlick Trail at

Sam A. Baker State Park with its impressive

views of the St. Francois Mountains.

Hiking remains one of the most popular

trail activities and the choice of hiking trails

is plentiful. Trails range from simple paths

to rugged routes that lead to impressive

views. A trail experience can be just for the

pleasure of being outdoors or for learning

Fall 2012 23

(Above) The .40 mile-long

Wildflower Trail at

Mastodon State Park takes

visitors to the Kimmswick

Bone Bed, where evidence

of the coexistence of Ameri-

can mastodons and humans

was first discovered.(Below) Route 66 State Park

has four trails available for

hiking, horseback riding

and cycling.

DNRphotobyChristyPick

DNRphotobyLaurenStroer


26/28

about the areas abundant cultural and natu-

ral features. The Osage Trail at Clarks

Hill/Norton State Historic Site takes you to

the hill where William Clark made observa-

tions during the Lewis and Clark Expedition

in June 1804.

The Boardwalk Trail at Big Oak TreeState Park takes you into the heart of an


old-growth bottomland forest and swamp

that once covered Missouris Bootheel.

To help you find the perfect trail, Mis-souri State Parks is publishing a newbook called Trails of Missouri State

Parks. The book is the result of a compre-

hensive two-year survey of all state park

trails. The full-color book includes a de-

scription of more than 230 trails, includingnumber of miles, designated trailheads, spe-

cial features, natural obstacles, images,

photographs, GPS coordinates, maps, and

connecting trails. In addition to trails in 58

state parks and historic sites, the book in-

cludes information on separate sections on

the Katy Trail State Park and the Ozark

Trail. Additional information is provided on

each state park and historic site, natural and

wild areas, trail etiquette, and tips to make

any trail experience safe and enjoyable.

The Missouri state park system has been

developing trails since it was established 95years ago. This publication is the first com-

prehensive guide to those trails. Trails are

vital to any state park experience. This guide

will make it easier for our users to choose a

perfect trail for them and begin their own

state park trail adventure, Bryan said.

For more information about ordering the

new Trails of Missouri State Parks book,

visit mostateparks.com.

Sue Holst is a writer for Missouri State

Parks, a division of the Missouri Depart-ment of Natural Resources.

DNRphotobyLaurenStroer

(Above) The Gans Creek Wild Area Trail System at Rock Bridge Memorial State

Park has 8.5 miles of trails available for hikers and equestrians.

(Below) There are many trails in Missouri State Parks that are open to mountain

biking, like the Kelley Branch Trail at Finger Lakes State Park near Columbia.

With more than 230 trails available in the Missouri State Parks system,

there is a trail available for almost any adventure.

DNRphotobyScottMyers


27/28

The winter season is fast ap-

proaching the Show-Me State,and you know what that means: short-

er days, colder temperatures, in-

clement weather. And higher utility

bills? Not necessarily, according to

the Missouri Department of Natural

Resources Division of Energy.

If the thought of a return visit from

Old Man Winter has you dreading

your utility bills, the Division of En-

ergy has a few simple efficiency tips

that can reduce those bills and lessen

the burden of this not-always-wel-

come visitor.

The U.S. Department of Energy es-

timates 22 percent of the countrys en-

ergy is used residentially, with the av-

erage single family home

accumulating $2,200 in energy bills

annually. But it doesnt have to be

that way.

Every person has the potential to

save energy in their home, said

Llona Weiss, director of the Division

of Energy. Small steps can lead to

big savings.

Here are a few simple energy-sav-

ing measures you can take this winterto set your home on a path to becom-

ing more energy efficient:

Turn your thermostat down whenyou leave for the day and before

you go to bed at night to reduce

heating costs.

To reduce air leaks, caulk aroundwindow frames and locations

where plumbing, electrical wires

or duct work penetrates through

walls, ceilings or floors. Install foam gaskets behind out-let covers and switch plates to

reduce air leaks.

Clean or replace furnace filtersonce a month or as recommend-

ed by the manufacturer.

Inspect your attic to see howmuch insulation is present. Ap-

proximately 13 inches of fiber-

glass batting and loose-fill fiber-

glass insulation (or 10 inches of

loose-fill cellulose) is needed to

achieve the recommended mini-

mum R-38 rating for Missouri.

Add weather stripping andsweeps to doors to help reduceair leaks.

As you can see, you dont have to

invest a lot of time or money to real-

ize energy efficiency, Weiss said.

Just a few minor adjustments can re-

duce the amount of energy needed in

your home.

Though you may not be able to

keep Old Man Winter from visiting

this year, you can at least endure hisstay comfortably and with a few more

dollars in your pocket. For more tips

on saving energy in your home year-

round, visit energysavers.gov.

For more information and to find

out about a comprehensive energy

audit of your home, please go to

dnr.mo.gov/energy/residential/

homeenergyaudits.htm.

Angie Morfeld is the information offi-

cer for the Department of Natural Re-

sources Division of Energy.

Fall 2012 25

one

Simple Steps toWinter Energy Efficiencyby Angie Morfeld

DNRphotobyScottMyers


28/28

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT

OF NATURAL RESOURCES

PO Box 176Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176

Nonprofit Org.

US POSTAGE PAID

MO Dept. of

Natural

Resources

Missouri Resources - 2012 Fall

Documents

Transcript of Missouri Resources - 2012 Fall